Welspun India foraying into health, hygiene segment

Under the Welspun Health vertical, the company is offering a range of hygiene products for medical professionals as well as personal care products such as masks, wipes, medical gowns, disposable linen, coveralls, hand sanitising wipes, surface disinfectant wipes among others.

The company is repurposing its decade old technical textiles unit for its new venture. Technical textiles include textiles for automotive applications, medical textiles, agrotextiles and protective clothing, among others.

"Our essential services were working (during the lockdown) because we repurposed our factory for mask production. "We have a plant for technical textile. As the need arose we started making masks and distributed it in communities, development forum and villages. We gradually made this into a kind of business...," Welspun India Ltd CEO and Joint Managing Director Dipali Goenka told PTI.

She further said, "we got to work as COVID-19-struck with a sense of purpose of looking at how can we repurpose our businesses, so the advanced textiles was born." Under Welspun Health, the company plans to produce 2.5 lakh masks per day, including 3 ply surgical mask, reusable mask and N95 respirator. The company said it is also in advanced stage of offering customisation and branding options to large and discerning buyers.

The coveralls made with pre-approved fabric medium, are in government approved laboratories and are undergoing secondary product certification and approvals under ASTM 1670 standards. Additionally, the company said it has developed nine certified varieties of blood penetration barrier medium for making coverall Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). It is also making washable medical gowns made from soft lightweight fabric for protection.

On the plans ahead, Goenka said, "we have always been completely vertically integrated and that is what we plan to do... We already have a technical textiles factory running for a decade now... We plan to completely integrate here. We will innovate. We have a lab which is in-house." When asked if the company planned to export the new products, she said, "right now it is for the domestic market, till the (global) markets open up. Right now the markets have not opened up. Exports will become an important part of it." She further said, "we already have a connect with the customers. It will be an opportunity for us as exports open up. In the interim we will continue to work on our product, we will continue to work on the whole approval process and mechanism." Goenka said while the spread of COVID-19 increases, consumers have adopted a lifestyle centred on health, safety and hygiene. "Catering to the ever-evolving customer as well as institutional needs, we have used our existing competence and enhanced our capabilities to introduce a wide range of certified, advanced health and hygiene products. With this launch, we are hopeful to fill an existing gap in the health and hygiene segment," she said.

Under 'Welspun Health', the company said it will cater to pharmaceutical companies and e-tailers along with marking a presence on the shelves of general trade and modern trade across geographies.